[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 826 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 826


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 6, 1995

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To extend the deadline for the completion of certain land exchanges 
  involving the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) under the Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act of 
        1993 (Public Law 103-46), Con- 
        gress increased the size of the Big Thicket National Preserve 
        through authorized land exchanges;
            (2) such land exchanges were not consummated by July 1, 
        1995, as required by Public Law 103-46; and
            (3) failure to consummate such land exchanges by the end of 
        the three-year extension provided by this Act will necessitate 
        further intervention and direction from Congress concerning 
        such land exchanges.

SEC. 2. TIME PERIOD FOR LAND EXCHANGE.

    (a) Extension.--The last sentence of subsection (d) of the first 
section of the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize the establishment of 
the Big Thicket National Preserve in the State of Texas, and for other 
purposes'', approved October 11, 1974 (16 U.S.C. 698(d)), is amended by 
striking out ``two years after date of enactment'' and inserting ``five 
years after the date of enactment''.
    (b) Independent Appraisal.--Subsection (d) of the first section of 
such Act (16 U.S.C. 698(d)) is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: ``The Secretary, in considering the values of the private 
lands to be exchanged under this subsection, shall consider independent 
appraisals submitted by the owners of the private lands.''.
    (c) Limitation.--Subsection (d) of the first section of such Act 
(16 U.S.C. 698(d)), as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: ``The authority to exchange lands 
under this subsection shall expire on July 1, 1998.''.

SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act and every six months thereafter until the earlier of the 
consummation of the exchange or July 1, 1998, the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall each submit a report to 
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate concerning the 
progress in consummating the land exchange authorized by the amendments 
made by Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act of 1993 (Public Law 
103-46).

SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE IN LIBERTY COUNTY, TEXAS.

    If, within one year after the date of the enactment of this Act--
            (1) the owners of the private lands described in subsection 
        (b)(1) offer to transfer all their right, title, and interest 
        in and to such lands to the Secretary of the Interior, and
            (2) Liberty County, Texas, agrees to accept the transfer of 
        the Federal lands described in subsection (b)(2),
the Secretary shall accept such offer of private lands and, in exchange 
and without additional consideration, transfer to Liberty County, 
Texas, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
the Federal lands described in subsection (b)(2).
    (b) Lands Described.--
            (1) Private lands.--The private lands described in this 
        paragraph are approximately 3.76 acres of lands located in 
        Liberty County, Texas, as generally depicted on the map 
        entitled ``Big Thicket Lake Estates Access--Proposed''.
            (2) Federal lands.--The Federal lands described in this 
        paragraph are approximately 2.38 acres of lands located in 
        Menard Creek Corridor Unit of the Big Thicket National 
        Preserve, as generally depicted on the map referred to in 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Administration of Lands Acquired by the United States.--The 
lands acquired by the Secretary under this section shall be added to 
and administered as part of the Menard Creek Corridor Unit of the Big 
Thicket National Preserve.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 5, 1995.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.

                              By Linda Nave,

                                                          Deputy Clerk.